Lieutenant (JG) Lena Josett - Calumny and Vilification
Quinn Reynolds
((Sensor Dead Zone, Darime IV))
Hunkered down among the grasses and fresh tasita droppings, Lena and Bear traded banter, a series of teases about the wonder of the great outdoors and her distaste for it. Amidst the traded jibes, the scream of engines cut off her chuckle, and Lena’s gaze flicked up, peering through the gaps in the canopy to lock eyes on the source of the sound. A shape flitted through, casting a shadow across the ground and the two crouching officers. The rustling leaves made identification a little trickier, but it was a shape familiar to the hybrid, and she quickly picked out the details as it rocketed past.
Josett: Klingon. Toron-class. Definitely modified. ::She grinned.:: Be still my heart.
O. Marshall: A former love of yours? On your head be it. The Do' joH is a jealous mistress.
Josett: Smuggler’s Friends. They’re sturdy, easy to get hold of, and piece of tiz to upgrade. Swap out Klingon SIF, boost the impulse efficiency, and throw an ion disperser in there, and you’ve got a ship that can throw you off their scent almost as soon as they’re spotted. If you spot them at all. ::She grinned.:: We’re definitely in the right place.
There was a touch of pride in his grin, and it was not an expression Lena was used to receiving from anyone. Her Cardassian brow twitched in uncertainty, but perhaps he didn’t see it, already looking away from her toward the ship. It hovered in the distance, the last stages of a landing pattern, and the sight made Bear scratch his cheek through the bristles of his beard.
O. Marshall: We’ll have to detour around the clearing and the meadow, otherwise it’s open season on sexy blond humans and gorgeous hybrids. ::He pointed to the east, making a swooping motion with his hand.:: Hug the lining of the trees as we get closer to the mountains.
Josett: More ground to cover. We’ll have to pick up the pace.
He reached for the binoculars on his rucksack and passed them to her, squinting around them. Lena peered through the lenses, focusing in on the landing shuttle. Her fingers deftly tapped buttons and rolled across dials, zooming in on the ship. Amber eyes took in the exterior upgrades, filing them away in the back of her brain; some she recognised, others she needed to get a closer look at to divine their purpose.
O. Marshall: Begs the question where have they been. ::He flicked his eyebrows up at his partner, and flipped out the tricorder from his pocket.:: No readings from anything around here. It’s like this place doesn’t exist. Perfect for a little smuggling R&R. I bet they’ve got a shower in there.
Josett: If you’re lucky, they’ll have some Orion liquid soap, too. ::She chuckled.:: The Federation does like to embargo all the fun stuff.
O. Marshall: You’d think they’d have set up some checkpoints, like lookout posts on the ridge lining, or deploy a sensor net under the ground. We could be stumbling up to them right now and we’d have no idea until we’re swarmed in smugglers. Unless the dead zone is causing them as much hassle as it is us. ::Tapping the back of his hand on Lena’s thigh, he gestured with a flick of his head.:: Much as I hate to cut our rolling around in the filth with you short, darling, but I think we should move.
Josett: We’ll just have to roll around and be filthy later.
She dropped the binoculars with sly eyes and a wicked grin, her gaze tracking back up to the sky at the noise of another set of engines. These ones were in desperate need of some tender loving care, sounding like two buzzsaws duelling in a gravel pit. Bear frowned, and Lena’s brow twitched together in mute curiosity, her grin still playing at the corner of her lips. An interesting development, and it teased her morbid sense of fun.
O. Marshall: Does that look like a workbee to you?
Josett: Romulan. Stolen, most likely. ::She flicked a finger in its direction.:: That’s the sound of a hotwired engine. They’re lucky it hasn’t fallen out of the sky. Or blown up in their faces.
O. Marshall: Response
Pushing herself back up to her feet, she fell into step with Bear as he directed them onto their new route. Damp soil muffled their footsteps, long grass whispered against calves as they walked, wind raised goosebumps across her skin, and she could taste rain in the air. Nature, everywhere. It wasn’t her usual arena, and while she knew she was smart and adaptable, with a sharp eye on her surroundings, the former street rat was left with the uncomfortable feeling she had to rely on Bear to spot potential threats.
Josett: Stoking conflict between the Romulans and Pelians would keep our focus on them and away from anything else going on. They’re probably thanking their lucky stars that they’ve got such an easy villain to pin things on. ::She chuckled.:: Most people won’t stop to think that the problem with Romulans being the obvious villain is that Romulans are rarely so obvious. There's a reason they have a reputation for being sneaky gits, and that's because you don't realise they've screwed you until you're well and truly screwed.
O. Marshall: Response
Josett: If I had to guess, these smugglers had something in the works and now we’re here, they need to make sure a certain Sovereign-class isn’t looking in their direction when they pull it off.
O. Marshall: Response
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Intelligence Officer
USS Gorkon
simmed by
Commanding Officer
USS Gorkon
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